


Charting Neptune

by taikodragon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blink And You Miss It S8 Fix-it, Getting Together, Insomnia, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Mentions of Other Voltron Paladins, Morning Sex, POV Shiro (Voltron), Pining, Shiro Needs Cuddles, Sleeping Together, Touch-Starved, post-season 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 20:23:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18038366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taikodragon/pseuds/taikodragon
Summary: Shiro is unable to get a full night's sleep in the post-war peace. Keith is an enigma still. Matt just likes to say what he thinks without a filter.Matt, of course, followed after with his own and sat next to him, munching on his toast while continuing to stare at Shiro. “You’re still unable to sleep by yourself?”Shiro wanted to slap a hand to his face that was undoubtedly turning red if the temperature of his skin was anything to gauge by. This had been something told to Matt in confidence a while back, when they first became friends at the Garrison. Past him should have known better. Past him certainly learned but not soon enough.And because the universe was being so kind to him today, Keith chose that moment to join them and Shiro felt like his heart was going to stop when he said from close proximity behind him, “What?”





	Charting Neptune

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shipnuggets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipnuggets/gifts).



> Beta-ed by the fabulous [narada-talis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarensen/pseuds/narada-talis).
> 
> All inaccuracies, mistakes, and tense shifts are my own.
> 
> Title came from "New Constellations" by Ryn Weaver
>
>> Oh, charting Neptune by the fire of the sun  
> I'm looking for new constellations  
> New constellations
>> 
>> So keep calling me crazy 'cause I never learned  
> You should stop loving fire because you got burned  
> Now it feels like I'm living some sick déjà vu  
> Like the answers were there when I stared into you

Shiro woke up again feeling like he’d barely slept at all. He grappled with the alarm beeping on his datapad before laying back, arms spread out from him, sheets down to his waist. This was not something he’d had time to deal with previously and thus had subsisted on catching sleep where he could, which worked pretty well for him. However, in this peace they wrought nearly at the cost of their own lives, he’d now had plenty of time to catch a full night’s worth of sleep.

He wasn’t sure he liked that.

He slowly got himself dressed in his uniform, brushed his teeth, and made his way to the mess hall for coffee and something to eat. Matt, who was currently working on some A.I. project with Pidge, was there already and raised one eyebrow at him quite surprised. “Shiro, you look like crap.”

Being an Admiral meant that he should not do what he wanted, which was roll his eyes but he did it anyways, “Thanks, Matt. I appreciate the compliment.”

“No, really, man. You should be well rested. Unless you got lucky. Eh? Eh eh?” Matt decided now would be a great time to poke a sleeping bear. Shiro may not have been that sleeping bear, but he certainly felt like it as Matt’s elbow nudged against his arm annoyingly.

“I just. . .I’m fine. I haven’t been sleeping well.” Shiro felt more than saw Matt’s further studying of his appearance.

“Ooooooh!” Matt’s voice chose that moment to carry over the entirety of the mess hall, causing multiple faces to turn their way. Shiro picked up his tray with his coffee and his breakfast then, and headed to an empty table.

Matt, of course, followed after with his own and sat next to him, munching on his toast while continuing to stare at Shiro. “You’re still unable to sleep by yourself?”

Shiro wanted to slap a hand to his face that was undoubtedly turning red if the temperature of his skin was anything to gauge by. This had been something told to Matt in confidence a while back, when they first became friends at the Garrison. Past him should have known better. Past him certainly learned but not soon enough.

And because the universe was being so kind to him today, Keith chose that moment to join them and Shiro felt like his heart was going to stop when he said from close proximity behind him, “What?”

Shiro turned to reply with “It’s nothing, Keith” at the same time Matt continued, “Man, you’ve been that way since you came to the Garrison.”

This is definitely not the conversation he’d wanted to have this morning. Of course Matt would be back on Earth to bring this up in front of Keith, of all people, who of course, was also back on planet for a short stay on BOM business. Of course. Shiro knew this day was going to just get worse.

The thing was, Keith would help. Of course he would. It was Shiro who had the problem but Shiro didn’t want just to be helped by Keith for that. He didn’t want to be burden, didn’t want to interrupt anyone else’s duties or cause worry. He felt he had done quite enough of that in his lifetime. _Lifetimes._

However, Matt sometimes didn’t know when to stop talking, “You could probably have over half the Garrison offer to help you out.”

From beside him he heard a questioning sound from Keith’s throat and just. . . no. He needed to get out of this conversation. Standing, he glared forcefully at Matt, patted Keith’s shoulder in hello and walked away, coffee in one hand, the remaining portion of breakfast tossed, his appetite gone.

\-----

A few hours later, Keith knocked on the frame of the open doorway of his office. He glanced up, smiled but felt himself internally start to yell _I KNEW IT_. Keith was going to do the helpful thing. He could be so predictable when it came to Shiro, and Shiro knew that. Both loved and in some ways, hated, that Keith was this way. He worried on occasion that it was some sort of obligatory thing because of how much he helped him out when he was younger, but really, the man saved his life how many times and still felt the need to do something like this? He could almost hear the words now before he’d even spoken.

“Hey.” Came the soft voice, always desert raw no matter how long he spent off planet with the Blades.

“Hey, yourself, Keith. What’s up?” He put down what was in his hands and gave his full attention to the man he had fallen in love with during their first year as paladins.

“So, what Matt was saying. . .” Keith started.

Shiro interrupted him, “Keith, it’s fine. I’m fine.”

Violet eyes narrowed at him as the second time that day, someone decided to study his appearance. “You’re not.”

Shiro groaned a little internally, “Keith.”

“I can see what Matt was talking about.” He sat in the chair across from Shiro’s desk and continued just looking at him. 

Shiro, however, heard what Keith didn’t say, which was that Matt talked about it, with Keith, after he had left the mess hall earlier. Unless Keith had super hearing, which was not a feasible reason but it played across the surface of his mind and he let his thoughts wander for a bit, imagining Keith stopping in place and saying, “I heard something,” with a weird expression on his face.

“Hmm,”came the real Keith’s voice.

“Keith, I appreciate your concern, but I am, and will be, alright.” _I wish it was you sleeping beside me every night, but even ‘heroes’ don’t get everything they want_ , Shiro added to himself.

Keith sighed, gave Shiro another once over with his eyes and stood, “Well, I’m on Earth for another couple of weeks. I know we have plans to do some things together when you have time, but seriously, Shiro, we’re friends. If it helps you get some rest, I’d be willing to share a bed.”

 _Not exactly the way I want to share a bed with you_. Shiro smiled and waved a hand in the air, “Keith, I appreciate the offer.”

“Good. Consider it.” Keith waved in return as he and his braided hair walked away.

Keith in longer hair and a BOM leadership uniform definitely were going to play in his dreams tonight. That is, if he had any.

\-----

Shiro lay awake that night thinking. Wondering why Keith never seemed to have anyone, or why he had never said anything to Shiro about if he wanted him, or anyone else for that matter. No one knew who Keith’s type was. Once, they would have said “Shiro” when prompted, but Keith moved in circles outside what the other paladins do now, and he’s become something of an enigma. Whenever they have their monthly gatherings and Keith is able to attend, Allura always finds someway to ask about it, and Shiro knows it’s for his benefit, but Keith usually just looks at everyone blankly, like it hasn’t even crossed his mind.

Shiro doesn’t even have a frame of reference for who might appeal to Keith. At one time he thought Axca, but then she eloped off with Veronica, much to Lance’s consternation. Hunk was close with Romelle, Lance and Allura had stepped back to take their relationship a tad slower, and Pidge was like Keith, blankly looking at anyone who suggested a relationship but everyone knew her true love was robotics.

He continued to lay there, staring at the ceiling above his bed, until he fitfully fell asleep. It didn’t take and he woke a couple of hours later, glanced at the time and groaned. It was going to be that kind of night. He was so tired and all he wanted was to slip off into sleep and do so for a full night. Temptation was strong as he remembered the conversation with Keith earlier and before he knew it, his feet were carrying him down the hall to Keith's quarters.

It was no time at all and he was standing in front of Keith’s door, bare-foot, in pajama pants and a tank top. He had already pressed the notification panel before he froze and thought, _What the hell am I doing?_ He had turned to retreat back to his quarters when the door snicked open behind him.

“Shiro?” A sleep, rusty voice he wanted to hear every morning spoke from behind him.

Turning back to face a delightfully rumpled Keith in his own sleep pants and a t-shirt, Shiro smiled at him from over his shoulder, chagrined. “Hey, Keith, I’m sorry to bother you. I. . . I’ll just go back to my quarters. Night.”

He heard the groaning sigh behind him before Keith spoke again, “Shiro, you have come to my door at one in the morning. There is a reason.”

 _Okay, yeah, he could maybe do this._ “I couldn’t sleep. I kind of was hoping I could take you up on your offer.” He let his body relax and turn fully back around to look at Keith, who was blinking bleary-eyed at him. Shiro almost wondered then if he’d take it back and decline. He had every right to do so.

“Yeah,” Keith croaked out. “That’s fine. Good. Great. Um. My bed or yours? Also, you could have just messaged me?”

Shiro laughed, a short breathy one that curved in to a small smile, “I know. I was here before I was even fully thinking, I’m sorry.” Sleepy Keith was adorable, leaning up against the door.

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s a weird situation. So my bed or yours?” He asked again.

“Uhh, I think my bed might be bigger.” It probably wasn’t by much, but Shiro didn’t want to intrude on Keith’s space. He didn’t think Keith would mind, but there was some urge to bring Keith in to his space, rather than the other way around. 

Keith was still just blinking at him from the doorway and said, finally, “Okay.” He moved back in to his quarters briefly to grab his own data pad and closed the door behind him.

“Space wolf?” Shiro asked, because usually where Keith was, so be the space wolf.

“Sleeping. He’ll find me if he needs anything.”

Shiro made an “Okay then” face before walking back the way he had come, Keith padding along behind him. He wanted so badly to just pull Keith in, wrap him up in his arms and just. . . never let go. But no. He was a grown-up, he was a fucking admiral, he could handle sleeping platonically with a man he considered his best friend, and possibly the love of his life.

They entered his quarters, the inside dim and just as dark as it was when he left it. He kind of stood in the middle of the floor just. . . staring. He knew what the next step was, obviously, but he was also frozen to the spot, the words _what the hell do I do next?!_ revolving around in his head.

Unbeknownst to him Keith had been watching him, still sleepy but with narrowed eyes, seeing him and his indecision. “So, how do you want me?”

Shiro jerked in place and looked back at Keith, startled by the words, and he responded as one would in this situation, “Huh?”

Keith rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “In the bed, to sleep.”

“Uhh, yeah. Yes. Um. I’ll. . . take the inside.” _So I can crowd myself against the wall. Why did I think this was a good idea???_

“Okay then,” Keith said then, waving a hand as if he were presenting a prize on some game show. _Keith might not appreciate that reference_ , Shiro thought maniacally.

“Ha, yeah. Okay.” Shiro responded because for some reason he couldn’t help himself. _Oh god._

He moved to the bed and crawled in as far as he could, messing around with the blankets until he was somewhat comfortable. When he stopped moving, Keith climbed in, lay on his stomach _OH MY GOD_ and when his head was on the pillow, he was looking back towards Shiro, arms tucked up under him. “Is this it? Do we need to, uh, cuddle?”

This was a horrible idea. Terrible. How the hell was he going to survive? Shiro wasn’t sure. He really wasn’t sure. “Uh, no, no Keith. This should be fine. Thank you.”

“Okay then.” And Keith, once the words were out of his mouth, closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep. 

Sighing, Shiro decided that he might as well close his own eyes and try. If Keith could sleep anywhere, so could he.

\-----

Suddenly Shiro’s eyelids snapped open and for a brief moment, he was not sure where he was. He was warm, comfortable, and there was a heartbeat under his ear on the chest his head was resting on. He distinctly remembered not going out or bringing anyone home, much less letting them sta- _OH_. Raising his head, he looked up from the chest he was using as a pillow and met the steady, albeit sleepy, hooded violet gaze that belonged to Keith. 

“Morning,” came the desert rasp, slightly cracking from sleep.

“Morning,” Shiro responded, he wasn’t panicking, NOT panicking and not really wanting to get up. However, sometime in the last few hours of sleep, his legs had become entangled with Keith’s, his Altean arm draped over Keith’s side and the fingers of said arm gripping the fabric, tips digging in like claws. He figured the other man may want to be released soon from the near stranglehold Shiro had on him. “Have you been awake long?”

He felt the motion as Keith shook his head, “Not too long. I didn’t want to move until you had woken up.”

Shiro’s heart did a little one of those ‘ba-dumps’ at the gesture. _OH MY GOD_. He was not going to lose his capacity to function properly after hearing that sentence so he merely said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Keith smirks.

He slowly unlocked the fingers of his prosthetic and calmly removed his legs from Keith’s before sitting up and rubbing a hand over his face. Keith sat up as well, finally, and got out of bed, yawning and stretching so a line of skin was bare enough to catch Shiro’s hungry eyes before being hidden from view. 

“I’m going to head back to my room.” Keith pointed towards the door with his thumb. “See you at breakfast?”

Shiro smiled in response, “Yeah, I’ll see you at breakfast.”

Keith returned the smile briefly, eyes soft, before he waved and headed out the door.

Shiro’s day went by steadily after that. Breakfast with Keith, a general leadership meeting, paperwork, lunch, reviewing the memos he was included on, upgrades, Atlas status reports, latest movements of Galra fleets and their alliance status or caution warning. It was dark outside by the time he surfaced. Dinner had come and gone and he was just about ready to crash. He had showered and while he was debating messaging the man on his data pad, Keith showed up at his door.

This went on for a few days. Every night, Keith showed up around when he thought Shiro was ready to go to bed and for the first few nights, he was wary when he fell asleep only to wake up entangled with Keith, body subconsciously migrating towards the other in the night. Tonight he lay in bed on his side and when Keith lay down on his side as well, back facing him, Shiro asked, “Since I’m going to probably do this anyway, do you mind if I hold you while we go to sleep this time?”

Keith turned toward Shiro slightly, looking back at him over his shoulder, “Big spoon, little spoon, huh? Sure. Yeah, that’s fine.”

Shiro scooched closer and trying to leave a little space between them, draped his arm over Keith’s side. He slid his other under the pillow, bringing his head to rest against Keith’s broad back as he tucked his knees behind Keith’s. “Is this okay?” He murmured as his eyes started to close. Keith’s assent was the last thing he recalled before waking up.

But when he did wake up. . . there was a surprise. It seemed like there were other parts of his body that awakened as well and, um, he would definitely not want to make this any more awkward than it already was beginning to be. He was trying to think how he could extract himself from this position when Keith’s hips. . . pushed back. He closed his eyes and breathed for a moment, resisting the urge to grind back. Dammit, he was so hard. He’d been so tired and busy that he hadn’t even taken any time to take care of himself that way, and it had decided to come back with a vengeance this morning. Because of course it would. He tried to remove his arm from around Keith’s midsection, but a hand grasped the wrist and just. . . would not let go. Which meant one of two possibilities: Keith was very much awake and not letting him move away for some reason, or he was having a dream.

Shiro was betting on a dream because he couldn’t give himself anything resembling hope when it came to Keith. Years spent pining could certainly point towards that, especially with Keith here in his bed. However, the fingers tightened their grip on his wrist proved to him that this, most certainly, was real. He froze, still breathing, but held in some kind of stasis, waiting for Keith to do something else. 

He was expecting angrily getting out of the bed, stomping out of the room, words, very strong words because he liked to make sure he covered his expectations. What he wasn’t expecting was Keith gently tugging his hand down and then pressing it against his own awakened body. Shiro felt his eyes widen and the breathe leave his body in a woosh of noise. “OH.” He said intelligently.

Keith looked at him over shoulder, meeting the shocked look in Shiro’s eyes and said, voice rough and heavy, “Touch me, Shiro.”

And _OH GOD_. Shiro’s morning hard-on was now impossibly hard. This. . . was definitely not what he’d expected of Keith. Keith who was seemingly uninterested in sex, or love beyond that of platonic. “Fuck. Keith. I’m not. . .” Shiro took a deep breath, sat up partially, leaning on one arm so he could fully look at Keith in the face, “I’m not going to take advantage. But I. . .appreciate the offer.”

Keith rolled his eyes and his torso flat to the mattress, released his grip on Shiro’s wrist and instead clawed at the neckline of his tank top and pulled down until they were nose to nose, Shiro awkwardly trying to keep his full weight off of the man under him, “You are oblivious sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?” Shiro asked as a smile spread wide across his face.

“You do have redeemable points, Admiral. Now kiss me,” he commanded.

Shiro leaned down and pressed his lips against Keith’s, who opened his mouth easily and they melded together, tongues exploring. Shiro felt distantly like he was having an out of body experience as he rested part of his body weight on Keith, one hand rubbing purposefully at Keith’s erection.

As they languidly discovered each other’s mouths, Shiro couldn’t help but roll his hips against Keith as they lay there, indulging in the press of body to body. Keith let loose a moan against his mouth as Shiro slipped his hand under the waistband of the pants he was wearing to find the length of hard warmth and gripped it gently, hand moving lazily up and down.

This was a perfect thing to wake up to, Shiro mused as they kissed. He wanted this every day and _oh_ , that was Keith’s hand trying to work it’s way under his own pair of pajama bottoms, pushing down the fabric until his cock bounced free. “Do you have any lube?” came the raspy voice when they parted to breathe.

“Uhh, I don’t. . . I haven’t, uh, in a while.” Keith’s eyebrows came up at Shiro’s confession. “Not since Adam.”

Keith was evidently surprised at this and it showed in his voice, “Oh. Wow. Really?”

“Yeah, I just. . . There was never any time and no one else held my interest.” Shiro kissed those lips again, because he could, “And the only one who did, I thought was perpetually uninterested in that with me.”

Keith sighed at this. “I knew you had been through a lot. A lot I didn’t even know about and I never really was interested in it, anything, except with you. So I just didn’t say anything about it.”

They stared at each other for a while before Keith suddenly surged up and kissed Shiro again, hands grabbing at his shoulders as they merged lips. Keith whispered, “And now, I was kind of hoping you’d fuck me, Admiral.”

Shiro felt gut punched, his body awareness heightened, dick harder than he could remember ever feeling like before. “God, Keith, I want to. We don’t have a lot of time, “ he dropped a register in his tone and continued, “And when we do have time, I promise I will fuck you, Blade.”

The shudder through Keith’s body was rewarding as he continued. “But, since we don’t have much to use, I’d like to show you another way that will feel as good.”

Keith nodded, biting his lower lip, which Shiro chased with his own teeth to nip at. “Come on, roll back on your side.” Keith was obedient and rolled until his back was facing Shiro. Shiro’s hand was gentle against the curve of his buttock when it slid under his clothes, and down lower until one finger was following the line that cracked him down the middle. He pressed down on the sensitive skin behind Keith’s balls, voice low next to Keith’s ear, “I’m going to fuck you here this time. Next time though, we’ll do it properly.”

Keith shuddered again under his touch and nodded mutely as Shiro added, “We’ll just need a little -”

Keith surprised him then by licking a sloppily line of saliva on his palm before reaching behind him and gripping Shiro’s length, slowly down to the base and then gliding back up to the tip. Shiro gasped at the feeling and let his forehead fall to the round cap of Keith’s shoulder as he started pumping him in earnest, mouth open as a groan escaped him. “God, Keith.”

“Pants,” was all he said in response and Shiro helped push down the waistband low enough that Keith was able to part his thighs. He moved down Keith’s body until he was in line with the vee of his legs and pushed in to the space as Keith pressed his thighs back together.

The precum and Keith’s saliva provided just enough moisture to allow his cock to slide deliciously between Keith’s legs and up under and against Keith’s perineum and balls. He was flexing his hips slowly, trying to make the moment last a little longer than it was likely going to but it was so easy to just feel: the warmth and the slickness as he thrust a little faster, hand on Keith’s hip, gruntly quietly. He gave in to the urge to bite at the flesh of Keith’s shoulder, tongue laving against the spot, before nuzzling at the nape of Keith’s hair, breathing open mouthed against his skin.

Shiro focused on pacing himself, one hand on Keith’s hip, as he thrusted steadily between Keith’s thighs. He began to increase his tempo as a moan slipped free of Keith’s open mouth. “Feel good, Keith?”

“I’m close, fuck. Shiro. I’m not gonna la- ” Keith whimpered, his one hand wrapped around his own cock and jerking it nearly in time with Shiro’s thrusts. “Come on. Oh fuck.”

As he continued moving between Keith’s thighs, he felt the shudder ripple through Keith as he moaned, high-pitched at first then bottoming out to his lower register as he came. Fingers digging into Keith’s hip, he thrust and pushed and suddenly he was there as well, orgasm flowing out from him with a sharp grunt. He kept moving shallowly after, riding through the wave of relaxed warmth riding through his veins and mouthed almost absently at Keith’s neck. He angled his torso and over him again, cock sliding free as he languidly kissed him in the quiet aftermath, their breaths quieting down and hearts slowing.

Keith hummed after a moment and when Shiro pulled away, said, “We should probably get up.”

Shiro responded by burying his head in the vee of Keith’s neck, who had rolled onto his back and was watching him openly, “But I don’t wanna,” he responded, petulantly. 

Keith chuckled, body shaking against his own, “There will be other mornings. Oh, hey, and evenings if you want.” He felt lips against his temple, “And any other time of the day while I’m here.”

Shiro frowned against Keith’s neck then, fighting a pout to match his petulance, “While you’re here.”

“Yeah, we can make it work. That is. . . “ and the first sign of uncertainty in Keith, what Shiro thought might be hidden under the level of confidence he had just moments early, showed itself in his words, “if you want to. I know I’m gone a lot off planet with the Blades.”

This made him lift his head to look at Keith, eyes soft and a smile pulling the corners of his mouth in to a curve, “Yeah, Keith, I want to. I’ve wanted to for a long time.”

The answering grin on Keith’s face was brilliant like sunset on the hills of the rocky plateaus near the Garrison. “Good. Same. Yes.” came his short single word responses, which meant he was now shy, embarrassed almost. Keith raised himself up off the bed then, curling one arm around Shiro’s neck to pull him closer and kissed him deeply, lips warm. “Okay, but we should really get up now. I’ve got a meeting at 8:30am about supply distribution,” he said, words muffled by the fact that he was saying them with his mouth smushed up against Shiro’s.

Shiro barked a laugh and grinned, “That sounds fascinating.”

“Oh it is.” Keith scooted to the end of the bed and pulled his pajama pants up before leering at where Shiro was still sitting on the bed, clothes in disarray. “Shower?”

\-----

Matt noticed because of course he did.

“Wow, you are looking pretty glowy this morning.” And of course he added his usual, “MAN, did you get laid finally?”

And of course, because Shiro was who he was and reacted the way he reacted, he froze, hand partway to his coffee before he started back up again. Matt missed nothing. “OH MY QUIZNAK, YOU DID.”

And once again, the mess hall seemed to look at where they were sitting all at the same time. “Please, can you keep it DOWN?”

“HA HA you, sir, are blushing!” Matt’s glee in this moment made Shiro want to take the Atlas up to the outer atmosphere and kick him out of the airlock.

“I am not.” Shiro protested feebly.

“Are too!”

“I am not blushing, MATT.” And like usual, Keith came up to greet them and grab a spot for himself on the other side of Shiro. He placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder as he leaned in to place another bagel in front of him.

“What?” He asked as he finally sits down, a strange mirror to that day a couple of weeks prior.

Matt’s immediate reaction was a very loud “OHHHHHHHHHH” while looking between the two of them before yelling, “I HAVE to tell PIDGE.”

Shiro was sure he could find some reason to take the Atlas up.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://taikodragon.tumblr.com/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TaikoDragonjkf), [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/taikodragon) and [Dreamwidth](https://taikodragon.dreamwidth.org/).


End file.
